Smokey Lake hybrid pan

[one more]

Tired of batch boiling, was looking at a 2×4 hybrid pan. Drop flue in back and to finish pan in front. Anyone have any experience with this pan? Pros and cons? Says it it 250% more efficient than the 2×4 flat pan I've been using. Thanks!

[MunsterMapler]

This was my first year with a purposed built maple pan and that's the exact one I bought. 2x4 hybrid with a float box and absolutely love it. Boiled over 20 gph no problem with my homemade arch with no preheater and I boil outside. Really impressed with its boiling rate, and the quality of their products! The worst part is just sweetening the pan haha took me about 180 gallons running at about 1-1/2 deep.

[one more]

Yeah I've got a homemade oil tank evaporator, and I'm boiling outside as well. Looking to ramp it up with a sugar house and new pan for next year. Good to hear about the gph. It's going to be a learning curve going from a flat pan to this one, go big or go home right?? Lol 180 gallons of sap huh? What's the draw off rate when you get her going?

[jbutton]

Took me about the same to sweeten my 2x4 hybrid. But boy it does boil it down.can't tell you the gph but it out done my old continous pan 7 to 1.

[one more]

Took me about the same to sweeten my 2x4 hybrid. But boy it does boil it down.can't tell you the gph but it out done my old continous pan 7 to 1.

How much are you drawing off and how frequently once you get going?

[johnzski]

Boiling right now on a 2x4 smokey lake hybrid , homemade hood , homemade preheater . Doing an honest 20 an hour , drawing about a half gallon an hour . Absolutely love this thing !

[Ghs57]

This was my first season with a SL 2x6 hybrid. I am happy with the results. I figured it would take a couple of hundred gals to sweeten the pan, but I was drawing off on the second boil after about 150. Then got a few gals on every boil thereafter. Boiled 10 times so far. Still need to do some fine tuning to get the boil rate up.

[GramaCindy]

This is my first year with a 2x5 hybrid from Smoky Lake. I have one question, Could I possibly have one too many layers of blanket on the back of the pan? It is very close to the flues, and the sap just jumps out of the flue pan onto the side of the arch, making a burning mess. It's where the ramp meets the flues. Man can that thing RIP!

[johnzski]

Sounds like you've got it working perfectly !

[one more]

This was my first season with a SL 2x6 hybrid. I am happy with the results. I figured it would take a couple of hundred gals to sweeten the pan, but I was drawing off on the second boil after about 150. Then got a few gals on every boil thereafter. Boiled 10 times so far. Still need to do some fine tuning to get the boil rate up.
Will you or have you ever ran it down to nothing or do you keep it sweet the whole season? I'm so used to flat pan batch boiling and having to pull the pan each time do to boiling outdoors.

[Ghs57]

I keep it sweet all season. This has not been a problem as long as I am boiling regularly (every day or two), and temperatures are not extreme, although even with the temps this year I have not had any problems.

[Islander]

About how many gallons are in the pan when it is at a decent boiling depth? I can do the math on the size of the pan but I'm not sure how the flues affect my estimate.

[one more]

I keep it sweet all season. This has not been a problem as long as I am boiling regularly (every day or two), and temperatures are not extreme, although even with the temps this year I have not had any problems.
How many taps are you running? I was figuring on somewhere around 100-125 for next year if I get the pan.

[MunsterMapler]

I think it was 12-15 gallons to flood the pan on my first boil. That was with a depth of 1-1/2-2 inches. 100-125 taps is a good number for the pan in my opinion. I didn't have any problem keeping up with the sap

[325abn]

I have an old 2 X 4 Small Brothers Lightning pan raised flue in the back sitting on a homemade oil tank oil fired arch 2.5/hr nozzle @ 140 PSI I am pushing about 28/hr right now. Think that is about max as I don't see anything else to tweek.

[Ghs57]

How many taps are you running? I was figuring on somewhere around 100-125 for next year if I get the pan.

i was at 113 this year - 38 on vac, 75 on 3/16 that ran like gang busters. Wanted to do 150, but got a late start and had other issues like the weather. The pan can handle it it no problem.

[Ghs57]

I have an old 2 X 4 Small Brothers Lightning pan raised flue in the back sitting on a homemade oil tank oil fired arch 2.5/hr nozzle @ 140 PSI I am pushing about 28/hr right now. Think that is about max as I don't see anything else to tweek.

That's fantastic for a 2x4. Oil sounds pretty good about right now. Don't want to see any more wood...oh yeah, the wood stove...

[one more]

The pan sounds promising, hopefully I can swing it for next season. So many upgrades, so little money! 😂

[MunsterMapler]

In my eyes it was worth every penny I spent on it!